Physics 67 Class Schedule and Readings

Week  Topics 
Reading/Links

Homework
8 Sep Positional Astronomy and Measures of Time
Nature of Light
Introduction to Observatory Use
Chapter 1:1.4, Skim 1.1-1.3
Chapter 3: pg. 34-40, skim 44-55
Chapter 4: pg. 60-61, 80-86, 89-91
Chapter 2
Coordinates and the Celestial Sphere
Summary of Measures of Time
September 2004 Calendar for Schenectady
  Homework #1
due Thursday, September 16
15 Sep Telescope and Detector Basics
IDL Programming Basics
Lab 1: CCD Imaging Using Filters, Image Collection
Chapter 5: pg. 98-106, 110-119
Chapter 6: 6.1, 6.3
Chapter 7: 7.1 -7.4
 Refracting Telescope Applet
  Homework #2 (handed out)
due Thursday, September 23
22 Sep CCD Astronomy, Image Processing
Lab 1: CCD Characteristics
Complete Part 1 (bias and dark analysis) by Thursday, Sept 30.
  CCD Summary with Pictures (optional)

 Online description of CCD Detectors (optional)

 Homework #3
due Tuesday, September 28
29 Sep CCD Noise Analysis
Lab 1: Sky Flats and CCD Processing
Due Monday, Oct 11
   
6 Oct Photometry
Begin Lab 2: Differential Stellar Photometry
Chapter 8: 8.1-8.4, emphasizing luminosity, flux, magnitudes  
13 Oct Photometry, Differential Photometry Methods
Propose Observational Term Project
Chapter 9: 9.1, 9.2, 9.4 through p. 262 (not including Excitation temperature section)
Chapter 9: 9.5 (skim 270-276, 277-279, 282-294 but read Standard Candles and Cepheids sections)
Stellar Evolution and Variable Star Summary
Variable Stars in Star Cluster M3
 
20 Oct  Midterm: October 21    
27 Oct Surface Photometry
Observational Projects
Web sites helpful for observational projects:
Online Astronomy Notes (gen-ed level)
Online Galaxy Lecture Notes (more advanced)
Examples of Unsharp Masking Technique
 
3 Nov  Spectroscopy
Observational Projects
Tuesday, Nov 9: Special Evening Talk:
Mapping the Universe: Galaxies, Dark Matter, and What We Don't Know
Dr. Martha Hayes , Cornell University
7:00PM in Olin Auditorium
   
10 Nov  Observational Projects and Talks    

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Last Updated: October 28, 2004